Overview
- Mamta Kafle Bhatt was last heard from on July 29, 2024, and is presumed dead though her remains have not been found.
- Prosecutors allege her husband, Naresh Bhatt, bought garbage bags, carpet cleaner, gloves and knives in the days after her disappearance and was filmed dumping bags at multiple trash sites.
- Investigators reported blood on a reciprocating power saw recovered from the home and forensic exams in 2026 found three human hairs and 13 hair fragments that prosecutors plan to present at trial.
- A Prince William County judge has signaled she is inclined to allow audio and podcast recording for the expected 25-day jury trial set for October 2026.
- Family and community members held a vigil marking two years since Bhatt’s disappearance and called for accountability as prosecutors prepare a case that relies on circumstantial and forensic evidence in the absence of a recovered body.